Water shut-off device for a water purifier

ABSTRACT

A water shut-off device for a water purifier that assures automatic blocking of water flow at the time of changing of a used filter comprises a connector having a water inlet passageway and a first connector port in communication with the inlet passageway, the first connector port provided with a valve chamber. A valve body is movably fitted into the valve chamber for selectively closing and opening the first connector port. Removably coupled to the connector is a filter which has an inlet port connectable to the first connector port of the connector, a filter element, an outlet port and a pusher for, when the inlet port is brought into connection with the first connector port, causing the valve body to move into a position wherein the first connector port is opened to allow water flow.

This application claims priority from PCT patent applicationPCT/KR2003/002316 with an International filing date of Oct. 31, 2003,which claims priority from Korean Patent Application No.10-2002-0069364, filed Nov. 8, 2002.

I. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A. Field of the Invetion

The present invention is directed to a water shut-off device for a waterpurifier and, more specifically, to a water shut-off device for a waterpurifier that can effectively block the flow of raw water at the time ofchanging of a used filter.

B. Description of the Related Art

Due to water pollution, the tap water supplied to every home or officecould hardly be drunk as it is. There is a growing need for a waterpurifier that can purify polluted water (hereinafter, referred to as“raw water”) into clean water suitable for drinking (hereinafter,referred to as “purified water”).

The conventional water purifiers are provided with a plurality offilters for filtering the raw water. Each of the filters comprises acylindrical casing, a filtering element disposed inside of the casing,an inlet port for introducing the raw water and an outlet port throughwhich the filtered water is discharged. The filters are connected inseries with each other so that the polluted raw water can consecutivelypass through the filters and finally converted into clean purifiedwater.

In the meantime, according to the conventional water purifiers, there isa need to periodically change the filters depending on the pollutedcondition of the filters. In the process of detaching the filters fromthe connector for replacement with new ones, an appropriate measure mustbe taken to prohibit the introduction of the raw water, which process ishighly inconvenient to perform. The raw water will be leaked from theconnector if the filters are removed from the connector without blockingthe introduction of the raw water. In order to block the flow of the rawwater, the water purifier should be provided with an electromagnetic ormanual shut-off valve that is costly to purchase.

II. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention is to provide awater shut-off device for a water purifier that can effectively blockthe flow of raw water and prohibit the water from leakage when filtersare removed from a connector for replacement with new ones.

Another object of the invention is to provide a water shut-off devicefor a water purifier that makes it possible to cut off the water flow ina simple and cost-effective manner, thereby reducing the manufacturingcost of the water purifier.

In order to achieve the above objects, the present invention provides awater shut-off device for a water purifier adapted to automatically cutoff the flow of raw water at the time of filter replacement, comprising:a connector having a water inlet passageway and a first connector portin communication with the inlet passageway, said first connector portprovided with a valve chamber; a valve body movably fitted into thevalve chamber for closing the first connector port when the filter isdetached from the connector and for opening the first connector portwhen the filter is attached to the connector; and a filter meansdetachably attached to the connector, said filter means having an inletport connectable to the first connector port of the connector, a filterelement, an outlet port, and a pusher for causing the valve body to moveinto a position in which the first connector port is opened, when theinlet port is brought into connection with the first connector port.

Still other benefits and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art to which it pertains upon a readingand understanding of the following detailed specification.

III. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangement ofparts, a preferred embodiment of which will be described in detail inthis specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings whichform a part hereof and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a water shut-off device for awater purifier according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 5 through 7 illustrate water shut-off devices for a water purifieraccording to other embodiments of the present invention.

IV. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings wherein the showings are for purposes ofillustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention only and not forpurposes of limiting the same, FIGS. 1-7 show the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a sectional view of a water shut-offdevice for a water purifier in accordance with the invention. The watershut-off device comprises a connector 10 mounted to a housing 1 of awater purifier and a filter 30 removably attached to the connector 10.The connector 10 is provided with a water inlet passageway 12 and afirst connector port 14 in communication with the inlet passageway 12.The water inlet passageway 12 is coupled to, and receives raw waterfrom, an introduction conduit 3, which in turn is connected to a watersource. The first connector port 14 is connected to an inlet port 32 ofthe filter 30 and serves to transfer the raw water in the water inletpassageway 12 to the inlet port 32 of the filter 30.

The connector 10 is further provided with a second connector port 16 anda purified water discharge passageway 18 in communication with thesecond connector port 16. The second connector port 16 is connected toan outlet port 34 of the filter 30 so that it can receive the purifiedwater discharged from the outlet port 34 of the filter 30. The purifiedwater discharge passageway 18 is adapted to communicate with a waterinlet passageway 12 of another adjoining connector 10 and constructed totransfer the purified water to the adjoining connector 10.

In the meantime, the first connector port 14 of the connector 14 has avalve chamber 14 a, which is provided with a valve seat 14 b. The valveseat 14 a is comprised of a rubber O-ring that remains secured to thefirst connector port 14 by means of a retainer 14 c. Disposed in thevalve chamber 14 a is a valve body 20, e.g., in the configuration of aball, which can make abutment with the valve seat 14 b by the pressureof the raw water introduced into the valve chamber 14 a through thewater inlet passageway 12, thereby closing the first connector port 14in the same manner as a typical check valve does.

Such abutment of the valve body 20 with the valve seat 14 b and theresultant closing of the first connector port 14 will cut off the flowof the raw water in the event that the filter 30 is removed from theconnector 10 for replacement with a new one. This lessens theinconvenience, which would otherwise be encountered in the prior artwater purifiers that requires use of a separate shut-off valve to avoidwater leakage in the process of replacing the filter 30. The valve body20 has to be movable in the valve chamber 14 a, meaning that appropriatespacing should be left between the valve body 20 and the inner surfaceof the valve chamber 14 a. Leaving the spacing in this manner allows theraw water introduced into the valve chamber 14 a to be dischargedthrough the first connector port 14, when the valve body 14 a is spacedapart from the valve seat 14 b. A plurality of water flow grooves 14 dare provided on the inner circumference of the valve chamber 14 a, asillustrated in FIG. 2.

Referring again to FIG. 1, it can be appreciated that the water shut-offdevice comprises the filter 30, as an essential element, which includesa filtering element (not shown) that can purify the raw water. As setforth earlier, the filter 30 is provided with the inlet port 32 and theoutlet port 34. The inlet port 32 is connected to the first connectorport 14 of the connector 10 and introduces the raw water from the firstconnector port 14. The outlet port 34 is coupled to the second connectorport 16 of the connector 10 and serves to discharge the purified waterto the second connector port 16.

The filter 30 is provided at the inlet port 32 with a pusher 32 a thatprojects outwardly. The pusher 32 a is inserted through the firstconnector port 14 of the connector 10 and pushes the valve body 20 asthe inlet port 32 of the filter 30 is connected to the first connectorport 14 of the connector 10.

The pusher 32 a of this construction serves to open the first connectorport 14 by way of pushing the valve body 20 away from the valve seat 14b. Such pushing and opening movement occurs simultaneously with theattachment of the filter 30 to the connector 10, thus making it possibleto introduce the raw water into the filter 30 without having to operateany separate valve. It is a matter of course that the pusher 32 a has adiameter far smaller than the inner diameter of the first connector port14 and, as shown in FIG. 3, is supported by a plurality of ribs 32 b inthe inlet port 32.

The inventive water shut-off device noted above ensures that, when thefilter 30 is removed from the connector 10, the valve body 20 can closethe first connector port 14 of the connector 10 under the pressure ofthe raw water, thereby automatically cutting off the flow of the rawwater. To the contrary, when the filter 30 is attached to the connector10, the pusher 32 a of the filter 30 will cause the valve body 20 tomove in such a manner that the first connector port 14 of the connector10 can be opened.

In a nutshell, according to the inventive water shut-off device, theflow of the raw water is automatically cut off and then resumed in thecourse of removing the filter 30 from the connector 10 and attaching anew filter to the connector 10, assuring easier and convenientreplacement of the filter 30 used.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the connector 10 employed in the presentinvention is mounted to the housing 1 of the water purifier by way ofrotatably joining the pivot axis 10 a with a support bracket 5.Therefore, the connector 10 is swingable about the pivot axis 10 abetween a filter use position (A) and a filter replacement position (B)with respect to the housing 1 of the water purifier, as shown in FIG. 4.This helps assure easier replacement of the filter 30.

Referring to FIGS. 5 through 7, there are shown other embodiments of thepresent invention. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, a poppet isused as the valve body 20 for closing the first connector port 14 of theconnector 10. The poppet 20 is provided with a tapering poppet face 22contactable with the valve seat 14 b and a rod 24 projecting outwardlythrough the first connector port 14. The poppet face 22 is adapted tomake abutment with the valve seat 14 b to thereby close the firstconnector port 14. And, the projecting rod 24 is adapted to be depressedby the pusher 32 a of the filter 30. As the projecting rod 24 isdepressed by the pusher 32 a, the poppet 20 is caused to move away fromthe valve seat 14 b so that the first connector port 14 can be openedaccordingly.

By way of using the poppet as the valve body 20 for closing the firstvalve port 14, it becomes possible to maximize the contact area of thepoppet with the valve seat 14 b, thus increasing the efficiency ofclosing the first connector port 14. In case of using the poppet as thevalve body 20 in this embodiment, there is no need to employ the rubberO-ring to construct the valve seat 14 b. This is because the poppet face22 of the poppet 20 will make contact with the valve seat 14 b at thearea great enough to close the first connector port 14. If the poppet 20is made of elastically deformable material, e.g., soft plastic or metal,the first connector port 14 will be positively closed without having touse an additional sealing material such as the O-ring 14 b. Furthermore,using the poppet as the valve body 20 ensures that the pusher 32 a ofthe filter 30 for depressing the projecting rod 24 of the poppet 20 canbe shortened in length. This is due to the fact that the projecting rod24 of the poppet 20 extends to the outside through the first connectorport 14, allowing the pusher 32 a of short length to push the projectingrod 24 with sufficient forces.

Turning to the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, a valve chamber 16 a with avalve seat 16 b is provided in the second connector port 16 of theconnector 10. A valve body 40 for closing the second connector port 16is disposed in the valve chamber 16 a. A pusher 34 a for pushing thevalve body 40 is provided in the outlet port 34 of the filter 30connected to the second connector port 16.

According to this embodiment, the valve body 40 disposed in the secondconnector port 16 acts as a conventional check valve to close the secondconnector port 16. This helps avoid backflow of the water from thepurified water discharge passageway 18 when the filter 30 is removedfrom the connector 10 for replacement. Moreover, the pusher 34 aprovided in the outlet port 34 of the filter 30 will push the valve body40 to open the second connector port 16 as the filter 30 is re-attachedto the connector 10.

Eventually, with the arrangement in this embodiment, backflow of thewater out of the purified water discharge passageway 18 is positivelyprohibited even if the filter 30 is removed from the connector 10, thusavoiding any leakage of the water in the course of filter replacement.

Referring finally to FIG. 7, which shows a further embodiment of thepresent invention, a third connector port 19 is formed in the connector10 and a valve chamber 19 a with a valve seat 19 b is provided in thethird connector port 19. A valve body 50 for closing the third connectorport 19 is disposed in the valve chamber 19 a. In addition, formed inthe filter 30 is an auxiliary outlet port 36 that is connected to thethird connector port 19 of the connector 10. A pusher 36 a for pushingthe valve body 50 of the third connector port 19 is provided in theauxiliary outlet port 36. It should be appreciated that the auxiliaryoutlet port 36 of the filter 30 is to discharge the water from a reverseosmosis filter element, in case of a reverse osmosis type filter beingused. The auxiliary outlet port 36 is in communication with the thirdconnector port 19.

According to this embodiment, the valve body 50 disposed in the thirdconnector port 19 can act like a conventional check valve to close thethird connector port 19 and cut off the backflow of the water from theauxiliary outlet port 36, when the filter 30 is removed from theconnector 10 for replacement. In this fashion, water leakage from thethird connector port 19 is avoided in the process of filter replacement.

As described hereinabove, the inventive water shut-off device canautomatically cut off the water flow, when the filter 30 is removed fromthe connector 10 of the water purifier housing 1, and allow the waterflow to be automatically resumed, when the filter 30 is attached to theconnector 10, thus assuring easier replacement of the filter 30.

In the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, the valve chambers 14 a,16 a, 19 a and the valve body 20, 40, 50 are respectively provided inthe first to third connector ports 14, 16, 19 of the connector 10 whoseconfiguration is male type, and the pushers 32 a, 34 a, 36 a arerespectively formed in the inlet port 32, the outlet port 34 and theauxiliary outlet port 36 of the filter 30 whose shape is female type. Tothe contrary, it would be possible that a female type connector having avalve chamber and a valve body is used in combination with a male typefilter having a pusher.

As set forth above, the water shut-off device of the present inventionassures easier replacement of the filter, thank to the fact that thewater flow is automatically cut off when the filter is removed from theconnector, and the water flow is automatically resumed, when the filteris attached to the connector. Furthermore, the inventive water shut-offdevice helps reduce the manufacturing cost of a water purifier by makingit possible to cut off the water flow in a simple and cost-effectivemanner without having to use a costly shut-off valve.

While this invention has been described in connection with what ispresently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment,it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to thedisclosed embodiment, but on the contrary, it is intended to covervarious modification within the spirit and the scope of the appendedclaims.

1. A water shut-off device for a water purifier adapted to automaticallycut off the flow of raw water at the time of replacing a filter,comprising: a connector having a water inlet passageway and a firstconnector port in communication with the inlet passageway, said firstconnector port provided with a valve chamber; and a valve body movablyfitted into the valve chamber for closing the first connector port whenthe filter is detached from the connector and for opening the firstconnector port when the filter is attached to the connector.
 2. Thewater shut-off device for a water purifier as recited in claim 1,wherein said filter has an inlet port connectable to the first connectorport of the connector, a filter element, an outlet port, and a pusherfor causing the valve body to move into a position in which the firstconnector port is opened, when the inlet port is brought into connectionwith the first connector port.
 3. The water shut-off device for a waterpurifier as recited in claim 1, wherein said valve body comprises a balladapted to close the first connector port by the pressure of the rawwater introduced through the water inlet passageway.
 4. The watershut-off device for a water purifier as recited in claim 1, wherein saidvalve body comprises a poppet adapted to close the first connector portby the pressure of the raw water introduced through the water inletpassageway, said poppet having a projecting rod contactable with thepusher through the inlet port of the filter.
 5. The water shut-offdevice for a water purifier as recited in claim 1, wherein saidconnector is swingable about a pivot axis between a filter serviceposition and a filter replacement position.
 6. The water shut-off devicefor a water purifier as recited in claim 1, wherein said connectorfurther has a second connector port connected to the outlet port of thefilter and a purified water discharge passageway remaining incommunication with the second connector port, said second connector porthaving a valve chamber in which a valve body is disposed forautomatically closing the second connector port at the time of thefilter being detached, said filter comprising a pusher for causing thevalve body to move in a direction in which the second connector port isopened, when the inlet port is brought into connection with the secondconnector port.
 7. The water shut-off device for a water purifier asrecited in claim 1, wherein said connector further has a third connectorport connected to the outlet port of the filter and an auxiliarydischarge port remaining in communication with the third connector port,said third connector port having a valve chamber in which a valve bodyis disposed for opening and closing the third connector port, saidfilter comprising a pusher for causing the valve body to move in adirection in which the third connector port is opened, when theauxiliary discharge port is brought into connection with the thirdconnector port.
 8. The water shut-off device for a water purifier asrecited in claim 1, further comprising a retainer removably attached tothe first port of the connector for keeping the valve body in the valvechamber.
 9. A water shut-off device for a water purifier adapted toautomatically cut off the water flow at the time of filter replacement,comprising: a connector having a water inlet passageway and a firstconnector port in communication with the inlet passageway, the firstconnector port provided with a valve chamber; a valve body movablyfitted into the valve chamber for closing the first connector port asthe filter is removed from the connector and for opening the firstconnector port as the filter is attached to the connector; and a filtermeans detachably attached to the connector, said filter means having aninlet port connectable to the first connector port of the connector, afilter element, an outlet port, and a pusher for causing the valve bodyto move into a position in which the first connector port is opened,when the inlet port is brought into connection with the first connectorport.